


WIPs

by bunny500



Category: Bleach, Final Fantasy VII, Gravity Falls, Naruto, Supernatural
Genre: F/F, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 16:39:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6384250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunny500/pseuds/bunny500
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1: SakuKarin Neighbors AU<br/>2: Cloud Time Travel AU [UPDATED: 2/6/2017]<br/>3: SPN Gravity Falls X-Over<br/>4: Hanatarou and Yachiru surviving bad circumstances<br/>5. Mayuri Kurotsuchi/Szayel Aporro Granz/Orochimaru (Science idiots OT3)</p><p>Since These are WIPs, feel free to comment & tell me if you see any errors or issues with the plot line! I'd like to fix those before I actually get to finishing and posting these fics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. SakuKarin Neighbors AU

Sakura stepped out of the passengers side of the car with considerable relief. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Naruto or that he was the worst driver- but not being the worst didn’t mean he was a good one either. She extracted herself from the piles of junk on the floor, stepped outside onto the grass, and took a deep breath of fresh air. While she was doing this, Naruto had somehow managed to get up the stairs of the porch and was already unlocking the front door.

“Hurry up Sakura!” he yelled over his shoulder, his keys jangling loudly as he tried to get the door open. She may have laughed at him a little.

“Give me a minute!” she yelled back, going around the car to get to the trunk.

“Sakuraaaa...” he whined loudly. Then he was crowing victory as he managed to get the door to open.

She tugged on the trunk lid. It didn’t open. She sighed.

“Naruto! You didn’t unlock the trunk!”

But he was inside and probably couldn’t hear her now. She grumbled angrily to herself as she went back around the car and got to the steps of the porch.

“Um. Excuse me.” someone said as she reached the second step. Sakura looked over, grabbing onto the railing for support. It was a redheaded woman. She was rumpled and half dressed in her pajamas. Her voice had been light and mild but her face spelled pissed.

“Yes?” Sakura said, trying to be polite.

“Could you guys keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep.”

Sakura squinted at her despite herself, “It’s four in the afternoon.”

“Yeah, well some of us work and take night classes, so excuse me for being a bit irritable when someone interrupts my sleep.”

“We’ll try to keep it down. Sorry to have bothered you.” Sakura said, just to get it out of the way. She knew well how to handle irritated neighbors after growing up in the same neighborhood as Naruto.

The woman glared but didn’t respond. Instead she went back over to her house. Which was, of course, right next to theirs. Sakura sighed again and made her way into the house.

Naruto was running around and looking in every room avidly. Not that there were very many rooms- the place they’d bought was ridiculously tiny, but at it was cheap and they’d wanted to stay someplace that wasn’t the dorms. The house itself had maybe five rooms in total, including the bathroom and two bedrooms, and there wasn’t a lot of space. She was kind of amazed that Naruto was still finding lots of places to babble about.

“-and look! There’s power outlets all over, and the bedrooms are huge! This place is going to be so awesome, I can’t wait for Sasuke to see it, you know-”

Sakura took the opportunity to interrupt him.

“When is Sasuke going to get here?” she didn’t mean to be rude about it, but he’d been uncommunicative and unhelpful about the whole thing. Sakura was very close to losing her patience completely with him. Naruto winced. Sakura scowled preemptively.

Naruto noticed, of course, “He said he’d be here within the week!” he said, trying to defend his boyfriend. Sakura was not amused.

”I should’ve known.” she said darkly. Sasuke had refused to tell her when he’d planned to come over. She’d thought it was a matter of time- that he’d be at the house sometime within the day- but ridiculously late, because he’s Sasuke. So, of course, he had to disappoint her dismally once again.

”He’s lucky you like him so much,” she said, “I wouldn’t put up with him otherwise.”

It would’ve been a different story if they’d been in middle school. Back then, she’d been “in love” with him to the point where she’d basically told her best friend since kindergarten to go fuck herself. Not in so many words of course, but the damage had been done. She’d been kind of lonely after that, but had been sure that when Sasuke eventually loved her back everything would go back to normal.

It was actually around then that she’d become friends with Naruto. They’d been next door neighbors growing up, and they’d gone to the same schools, but she’d thought he was annoying and rude. She’d very nearly hated him by middle school, but their asshole english teacher, Mr. Hatake, had repeatedly put them on group projects together. He’d been ridiculously amused by how much they argued- now that she was older, she could tell that he’d actually been trying to get them to get past that. Maybe he’d realised they were both lonely.

They had ended up bonding (at least a little over how much they hated Mr. Hatake), and while they hadn’t been very close, they eventually became friends. In high school, Sasuke, who they’d both been kind of obsessed with (Sakura because she had a crush on him and Naruto because he hated him with a passion) had transferred to a different school in their freshmen year. The gap he left in the school hierarchy gave Naruto and Sakura more time to bond, especially because Ino rightfully refused to take Sakura back after she’d apologised. Many years later, they’d patched things up, but by then Naruto and Sakura were best friends.

Sasuke had transferred back in their senior year. Sakura, older and now not so infatuated, quickly realised that Sasuke was a complete asshole who she wanted nothing to do with. Then he asked out Naruto, and their worlds were forcibly intertwined because Naruto believed in giving everyone second chances. She and Sasuke had become sort of friends, but they honestly didn’t get along very well, and they mostly did it to appease Naruto, who desperately wanted his two most precious people to be close too.

Which left them where they were now, starting college and all moving in together to try and make it affordable.

Well.

If Sasuke ever _showed up_ to the house they were planning to live in.

 

-=-0-=-

She and Naruto ended up going out to a local burger place for dinner. They’d carried in the boxes they’d brought with them, which were mostly clothes, books, and knick knacks they couldn’t bear to part with. They had a couple of sleeping bags and blankets to hold them over until the movers brought their furniture. They had only bought a couch, some tables, and chairs before moving, so they’d have to actually go out and buy beds later. Even though Sasuke was awful to deal with, he’d been the one to mostly pay for the house and the furniture when Sakura and Naruto had told him about their idea to live together.

Naruto, seated across from her in the booth, frowned down at his hamburger. Sakura ignored him.

”Sakura...” he whined.

”Yes, Naruto?”

”Why are we eating this when we could be having ramen?”

”Naruto. We’re about to become college students. We’ll have plenty of time for ramen later.”

Naruto kept frowning at it, his disappointment obvious.

”Naruto. Just eat it.”

[updated text from here]

He did.

Then they went home and into bed. Well- sleeping bag. It’d been a long day, so it wasn’t like she really cared about the distinction. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, Sakura fell asleep.

In the morning, they dropped by a drive through for breakfast and sat in the car to eat. They spent the time trying to decide what they were going to do with their day.

They didn’t have a fridge yet and their furniture from home wasn’t expected until at least five in the evening, so there wasn’t much they could do in the house besides sit around. There was a local library nearby, which of course Sakura was interested in, but she knew going there would bore Naruto to tears and she really didn’t want to be separated from him when they were in a new and completely unfamiliar place. Naruto might be interested in going to an arcade or something, but arcades cost money, which they couldn’t afford to spend on frivolous things. Which also meant no going to the movies or to the mall. Well, they could go to the mall and just wander around, but when she went out with Naruto, he always managed to convince her to buy _something_.

In the end, they went to a park to walk some trails.

 

-=-1-=-

Three hours later they were lost in the park.

That first hour had been fine, but after that her feet had started to hurt because she wasn’t really wearing the shoes for the excursion. Naruto had started whining and they’d gotten turned around somewhere (probably because they had been too busy shouting at eachother like usual to pay attention to where they were going). They had not, at this point, figured out how to escape from what seemed like an endless loop of trees.

She scowled down at the bridge they were crossing. They’d passed this one at least three times.

”Excuse me!”

Sakura’s head whipped around.

A man with his hair in a rather ugly bowl cut, wearing incredibly bright green clothes jogged up to them. He was grinning ear to ear. Sakura didn’t like him on principle. Who could be happy in this death trap forest?

He stopped a few feet away from them and immediately started talking, “I couldn’t help but notice you’ve been past this bridge a couple of times and looked quite displeased. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Naruto squinted at the man incredulously.

”Who are you?” he asked, with his usual level of finesse (as in none).

”My apologies for not introducing myself,” he said, and jesus how the hell did he manage to be so _loud_ , “My name is Rock Lee. I’m a park ranger.”

Naruto still looked flabbergasted. It was time Sakura took over.

”Yes, well,” she paused, trying to think of what to say, “this is our first time at this park, and we’re kind of lost.”’

His eyes lit up.

”Follow me! I will take you to the exit.”

The nice, if strange, park ranger led them out of the forest in only a few minutes. Sakura couldn’t help her exasperation at the whole situation- and maybe a little loathing for Lee, simply because he’d solved their problem after about two seconds while they’d been lost for _two hours_. Honestly, she mostly felt disappointed in herself. Despite her feelings, she thanked the park ranger profusely before she and Naruto left.

Finally, they made it home. It was only two but she couldn’t help but feel that it was much later than that after the long day they’d had.

Their neighbor passed them as they were going into their house and she was leaving hers. Her eyes were wide when she glanced over their disheveled appearances, but she didn’t say anything as she passed them, so Sakura ignored her as best she could.

As they were trying to get settled down in the empty house (and boy was Sakura glad she’d thought to bring lots of her books with her), the movers called.

They were not going to make it by five. They were going to arrive the next day and could give no time estimate as to when. They’d call her.

She sighed and slumped over into her sleeping bag pile. Why couldn’t anything ever go right?

 

-=-2-=-

By the end of the week, they had things reasonably set up. They’d gone out and bought two beds- one twin sized for Sakura and another Queen sized for Naruto and Sasuke to share in the master bedroom. They also got a fridge, which Sakura was immensely thankful for. She didn’t know how much longer she could’ve survived on takeout. Their other furniture and the movers had eventually arrived, and they’d gotten it all placed in the house.

They decided to wait to make any more decisions until Sasuke showed up.

If Sasuke ever _showed up_.

Naruto had tried calling him, but Sasuke did not appear to even remotely be interested in picking up the phone. Naruto was trying to hide his anxiety, using an old excuse ‘Sasuke is fine. He’ll get here when he wants to get here’ which had been implemented many a time in defense of his boyfriend- but then he’d get really excited when a car would pull up near the house or when someone passed by, running up to the door and hoping it would be Sasuke. She was pretty sure this was a worse sin than kicking a puppy.

Sakura really hated Sasuke.

 

-=-3-=-

Sakura _really_ hated Sasuke.

He’d shown up that morning.

’What morning was this? Why was it so important?’ one might ask. Well, Sakura would be happy to answer. It was the day the _semester started_.

He hadn’t even had the shame to apologise. He’d just walked into their house as if he’d been there the whole time and said, “Hey.” That was it. “Hey.”

Sakura would have punched him in the face right then if Naruto hadn’t been in the way. What with him enthusiastically greeting Sasuke with kisses and a hug. There was no time to actually yell at him either- she and Naruto had just been heading out the door to get to their classes. She scowled at him all the same. He gave her an unimpressed look from over Naruto’s shoulder.

Pretty much immediately after Sasuke’s miraculous appearance, they’d rushed out the door to get to campus on time.

Her classes were a little intimidating. She’d never had to deal with a syllabus before, but it seemed pretty useful, and her teachers (professors?) seemed incredibly strict. Every time she went into a new classroom, she felt like she had to pull out her class schedule again to make sure she was in the right place. It was harrowing. At least on Monday she only had math, biology, english, and chemistry. She didn’t even want to think of what Sasuke might be dealing with as a double major in criminal justice and history.

Silently, she gave her thanks that Naruto had chosen to be an art major.

In any case, she was done with classes by two in the afternoon. Naruto wouldn’t be done until three and Sasuke...who the hell even knew, since he hadn’t been talking to them through this whole thing. She tried her best to quell her rage at the thought of him. She chose to wait in the library until Naruto was done with class at least.

That was her plan anyway. In reality, she ended up stopping at multiple map stations, trying to decipher her location in relation to the library. It took her a good forty five minutes of searching for her to get there. By then, it was fairly close to when Naruto’s class was supposed to let out. She wasn’t sure whether she should stay at the library and try to get something done still, or if she should just call it a day and head for the car.

Her phone buzzed. She tugged it out of her pocket.

 

**Naruto**

Today 2:47 PM

_Hey saku! im done w class u wanna meet up_

_Sure! Do you know when Sasuke is done though?_

_Uhh  
Lemme go check_

 

Sakura waited. It took a good couple of minutes for him to continue.

 

_Ok so sas isnt done until 5_

_ >:( _

_I know! sorry  
What do u want to do until hes done_

 

She sighed.

_Idk Naruto. I guess we can hang out at the library if you want_

_But sakura thats so boring_

_Naruto, I have homework! I should get started on it while it’s still early_

_:( couldnt we go do somthing else_

_Like what exactly?_

_Idk like literally anything else would be better_


	2. Cloud Time Travel AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud Time Travel AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is mostly focused on Cloud's relationship with his mom. May eventually be Sephiroth/Cloud but idk. sidenote: I am deliberately screwing around with the timeline bc it’s the only way to make this premise work.

Cloud Strife's life hadn't turned out the way he had expected. In all of his daydreaming as a child, he could have never have imagined the terrors that would face him in his teenage years and early adulthood. He didn't ever manage to fulfil his dream of becoming a first class SOLDIER. He didn't come home a hero who could protect his loved ones. In fact, he'd failed rather spectacularly at that. His home town had burned to the ground by a madman, and Cloud had been too weak and inexperienced to stop him. Later, he'd been powerless once again to save a friend. Many more terrible things had come to pass, but he'd survived it all and come through stronger at the end.

More than that, he'd grown significantly. He was powerful and ready to handle just about any threat that could come at him. However, there had been the draw backs too that he'd had to deal with. He’d faced a lot of difficulties, and it had taken him a long time to settle the demons that had plagued him, but with time, effort, and a lot of love and acceptance from his friends, he’d found his way. He still had his little issues, like checking in the night to make sure his loved ones were still breathing, always keeping a weapon on him, and never setting out on a journey without everyone knowing where he was going and when he intended to be back- little things like that, which he couldn't really help doing. He still had nightmares and the occasional bad reaction to loud noises (like confronting such noises with a knife in hand), but he was doing much better after many years of struggling.

He'd eventually managed to settle down, to put a bit of a shaky life together at Tifa's home. Years later, they lived happily and harmoniously with each other- whether they were friends or more was between them, but they were partners for life one way or another. Her bar had managed a wonderful success and his delivery business certainly didn't hurt their joint income. After the short conflict with the remnants, he'd resolved to spend more time at home with her and Denzel. His brief brush with the old pains and aches of the past had woken him up a bit. He'd realized that he didn't want to spend his life roaming around without a home in his heart or friends he let in close. He wanted to be happy, in the end, whether or not that was selfish in its own way. So he'd stayed at home with them for most of his time, chipping in at the bar and helping to raise their adopted child.

Denzel, his brave little guy, with a heart full of love and a backbone made of more steel than his little body could back it up with. Cloud had been worried that he would grown up to be similar to him- a small, angry man with a chip on his shoulder until trauma had worn it away. He shouldn't have. Denzel instead became wise and determined man. Eventually, he reinvigorated efforts to secure safe housing for orphans. He'd fought tooth and nail to secure a bright future for them. Cloud was more proud than he had words for, and he almost couldn't believe he was such a big part of such an amazing person's life.

Cloud could very easily say that he was at peace with his life and place in the world. He was getting on in years but there was no question in his mind that he had lived a good and fulfilling life. There had been struggles, ups and downs for sure, but he'd eventually found his peace. He didn't plan to go out fighting, and had retired from most of what he'd viewed as his duties some time ago. Instead, he felt it was long since time for him to stop and smell the roses. Maybe it was wrong of him to be so complacent, but after all he’d done, he felt he deserved a little break.

-=-0-=-

On one sunny morning’s walk, things were very suddenly taken out of his hands. He’d been passing by a lovely flower garden, silently reminding himself that he could use a few more species of flower in his own garden (one that he kept in his own yard. There was the memorial to Aerith to worry about, but he’d found he rather liked gardening and made his own flower plot some years ago), when he’d encountered an elder woman on a street corner. He had given her a jaunty wave, and she’d smiled politely at him as he passed.

“Cloud Strife?” she asked, causing him to turn to face her.

No shortage of people knew his name and face, and Cloud had long ago grown used to encounters with loving fans. Once he’d gotten past his mid thirties, he’d stopped resenting them, instead resigning himself to make time for fans whenever possible. He’d been a fan too, once upon a time.

“Yes, ma’am?” he said in reply.

“I remember the way things were, all the way back then. The world sure has changed for the better,” she said, smiling nostalgically.

He offered an agreement, staring at the changing sky as the sun rose higher up. They had a moment of companionable silence as they looked at the clouds together.

“Tell me,” she said, “If you had an opportunity to change things for the better, would you?”

He paused for a moment to contemplate her question before taking the time to answer.

“You know, I don’t think I would.” he said, “In the end, things are so much better than I could have ever hoped.”

He was about to return the question to her, aware that many had past regrets that plagued them heavily; he’d always tried to help with those suffering like that. It was a dark and unpleasant road to travel alone. He knew from experience.

Instead, when he looked to her, he found himself facing the bright glow of activating materia.

“You’re not going to like this then. Sorry, I had hoped you would feel differently.”

Overwhelming light consumed him and the world spiraled.

-=-1-=-

“-and I’m finally going to fulfil my dream!” he cried. He stopped, staring down at his mother. He remembered this conversation- it was a bit fuzzy, but he knew it well enough. This was when he’d told her he was leaving to join ShinRa. He had his backpack stocked and thrown over his shoulder, ready to head out the door.

His mother looked close to tears, “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare tell me you’re going to go join SOLDIER. You know what ShinRa does to people! What they did to your father!”

He stood, silent, his mind struggling to keep up with what was going on. Confronted with his mother’s teary eyes after so long with only vague memories of her, Cloud knew that he couldn’t let her down. He also knew he needed to say something fast to avoid making matters worse.

“Actually,” he paused, but didn’t manage to really think about what he was going to say before he opened his mouth again, “My real dream… is to become a chocobo farmer!”

Cloud had never been very good at making split second decisions in anything but a fight.

His mother stared at him, very obviously bewildered.

“You… don’t want to become a soldier?”

“No. I want to raise chocobos.”

“... chocobos?”

“I-” he paused, scratching the back of his head nervously, and pulled up every chocoboshitting bone in his body, “I thought it sounded silly. I didn’t want to disappoint you, ma.”

“Cloud, I’m... relieved. So relieved. I’m glad you don’t want to join SOLDIER after all.”

“I was… trying to sound serious. I wanted you to be proud of me. But I guess that was a bad idea.”

“Oh, sweetie.” she reached up, patting his cheek gently, “I am proud of you. You don’t have to do anything special for that.”

He hugged her tight, confused and a little lost at the moment, but he felt a warmness in his heart at being able to hold his mother again. It was a bit overwhelming. Despite himself, he felt his eyes tearing up. He didn’t really want to let go, but he did. His mother immediately noticed his watery eyes, of course. She looked distressed and more than a little confused, but she pulled him back in until he’d managed to calm down.

Even with things being as they were, with him being out of place and time, in that moment, Cloud felt that everything would be alright.

-=-2-=-

His mother had eventually asked him to put the bag down and let her have a week to get ready. She wasn’t letting him go out on his own without her there to ensure his safety (which he couldn’t blame her for, as he was only thirteen at this point. He sympathised with her plight much more now that he’d raised a kid himself). He’d tried to protest, but it hadn’t done much, and he hadn’t made much of an actual attempt to convince her. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure if this was all real, so he couldn’t be bothered to attempt force the woman into doing anything.

As it was, he was a bit too disoriented with the old world to be really sure he could make it on his own. Already, he could tell his memory of those times wasn’t good enough for him to navigate the towns and cities, nor the currency, or really a normal conversation. He was lucky that he was so terribly anti social in his youth or it might have been a problem. In reality, his mother would probably be the key to securing his safety and avoiding any unwanted attention.

He’d thought of running off and living on the road, of avoiding ShinRa’s notice as best he could, and putting his efforts into changing the world for the better in this timeline. In truth, he knew there was no way he could do all that, nor did he actually want to. He felt some regret for avoiding what fate had set out for him, and the old friends who now existed to him as scars on his battered soul, but he didn’t think he could go through all of that again. It was too much to even think about without shutting down.

More than anything, he was tired. In his many years, he’d finally gotten it through his thick head that the world wasn’t relying on him and him alone. There were others who could take care of things. In all honestly, he’d been a dumbass kid in the wrong place at the wrong time, with just enough of a stubborn streak to do what needed to be done. There would be others like him- and better. He could afford to be a goddamn chocobo farmer if he wanted to. The world would move on.

-=-3-=-

They set out exactly a week from his “arrival”. His mother managed to wrangle some of the townsfolk into watching over their home while they were gone. She’d given them permission to sell it if they weren’t back within five years, which was as good an incentive as any. A lot of people seemed sad to see them leave, but he knew that they hadn’t been particularly close to any of them. He hadn’t even been close to Tifa until well after the events that destroyed their home town. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen at all. Although if he were being honest, a part of that hope did involve the fact that he’d rather avoid her if he could help it. He didn’t think he could face this young, distant Tifa after so long by her side and still manage to hold himself together.

His mother had put together supplies to hold them while they made their journey to somewhere with warm enough weather to start their farm on. Greens and chocobos fared better in warm conditions. She’d gotten food supplies aplenty, sleeping bags, as much gil as she could put together, and weapons for them both. They were only simple, small knives, but they should be plenty enough protection for them if they stuck to the main roads.They hadn’t yet decided on a destination. He’d been fine with settling just about anywhere, but his ma had resolved to only buy a place in a location that was sure to have the resources and accessibility to make the farm worth the cost.

They said their goodbyes, and got a ride out of town on a wagon passing through. He didn’t go out to find Tifa or to say goodbye to her. He did his best not to look back to the town as they left.

-=-4-=-

The wagon ride itself wasn’t too jostling thankfully- Cloud had forgotten how motion sick he used to get. It was smelly though, and cold despite the jackets they’d put on before heading out. It was winter now, making things especially chilly. Being in the back of an open wagon certainly didn’t make things warmer for them. They rode with the cart for a full day, sleeping in the bed of it for the night, before they reached North Corel and took their leave. 

Well… it wasn’t exactly North Corel, not yet at least. It would still be a while before that settlement came together. Instead, it was a small, no name town on the way to Coral or to Costa del Sol. It seemed to be a bit of a pit-stop area in between locations that got some small amount of traffic.

It was late when they arrived, so they went to the only inn they could find and rested there. They were far enough from Nibelheim at this point that they could probably bear to sleep in the outdoors, but it was better to wait until they had to and the inn was cheap. On the next morning, they made use of the baths at the inn, before they split a can of soup between them and headed out. 

Cloud couldn’t help but be a little lost when, after at least an hour of walking in the cold, his joints didn’t ache at all. He quickly realised that it was because he was young again. He wasn’t enhanced of course, but he was a healthy teenage boy, so the walk wasn’t so hard on him. His mother didn’t appear to be struggling, or even really breathing hard, but he still felt a pang of worry. Things had been hard for her and he certainly didn’t want anything bad to happen to her because of his choices.

They continued on for another hour before he suggested they take a break. While his legs weren’t tired, he was starting to feel somewhat winded. It was a bit strange to be around his mother. He didn’t really know how to talk to her- she seemed just as stoic and quiet as he had ever been and he wasn’t sure what to do with that. They sat in silence in the grass by the road, drinking some water and resting. Before long, his mother stood and kept going. He followed close behind.

It was near midday when his mother finally tired of the silence.

”So...” she said, trailing off tensely.

”Yeah?” he prompted weakly.

”What was it that made you want to be a chocobo farmer?” She asked, scratching at the back of her head awkwardly.

’Well, I was trying not to be an asshole so I just came up with whatever bullshit I could,’ he didn’t say, instead taking a long moment to try and put a reasonable answer together. Goddess, why was lying so hard? Especially when it was his mom?

”I… just...you know how everybody looks at my hair and makes jokes about it looking like a chocobo?”

She grunted an affirmative.

”Well, I was really curious about them.” he said, “I’d never seen one before besides in little kids story books. So...I started looking into them, and they’re really cool animals.”

He tried to sound serious and hoped that she couldn’t see through his obvious lie. From the amused look she threw over his shoulder, she probably already knew. He couldn’t help but feel that he was too old to be dealing with this teenage awkwardness chocoboshit. But really, even in his old age his awkwardness hadn’t really gone away. Sure, he’d become more amiable, but that hadn’t really solved the problem of his issues with socializing.

”Oh, is that it?” she asked, and Cloud was interested to realize that her country accent became thicker when she was trying not to laugh.

[NEW TEXT]

”Yes.” he said, as serious and straight faced as he could. She seemed amused at his response and didn’t push him for more answers. He was grateful. He didn’t have an actual explanation to give, after all.

In the afternoon, they encountered a group of monsters; two cokatolis’ and a needle kiss. Cloud had barely drawn his knife- and goddess he was not used to having such _slow_ reflexes- when his mother was upon them. His first instinct was to get between her and the threat- narrowly overridden by the fact that he had learned to never turn his back to an enemy- but the two cokatolis’ were already dead before he could even move. He killed the needle kiss quickly- not wanting to chance an attack. 

He tried not to stare at his mother too obviously. She noticed anyway. His brows drew together as she laughed at him.

”What? Didn’t think your ma had any tricks up her sleeve? How d’ya think I managed to raise you in that hick town?”

He frowned at her- he was kind of amazed that she hadn’t managed to get the drop on Sephiroth, honestly. She was much more skilled than he had been when the general had flipped his shit. He scratched the back of his head, shrugged, and turned to loot the corpses- the gil would be useful, he was sure.

His mother frowned as the birds dissolved into the lifestream.

”Damn.”

He looked at her questioningly.

”Thought maybe we could get a meal out of’em,” she sighed.

”That would’ve been nice,” he agreed. But then, he was from a future where the world was so mako polluted, it was easy to get a some meat from anything that attacked you. At this point, the only place you could get a meal off of any creature was near a reactor town.

His mother scoffed and started walking. He followed a little slowly since he wasn’t sure what to expect.

”It was different back in my day.” she said finally. Then she went silent, like she wasn’t quite sure how to finish her thought..

Curious, he said, “What do you mean?”

”Used to be that things wouldn’t go all sparkly for at least a couple’a weeks. Once ShinRa took over things changed.”

She looked back at him and he nodded to show he was listening. He’d never heard about what things were like before ShinRa- just that the company was ruining the planet- and he was interested to know more.

”Now, if you want to eat meat, you have to be near one of them nasty mako rigs,” she continued, “And out here, things are gone just like that. No pause, no nothin’, they’re just _gone_.”

”D’ya think… that ShinRa’s plants are harming the planet?” He couldn’t help but wonder if his mother had some anti-ShinRa tendencies. He couldn’t remember what she’d thought of them when he was a child… but it wouldn’t surprise him, based on a couple of things that she’d said to him.

His mother turned to eye him sharply, taking a moment to think over her answer. ”Maybe.” she said, “Could be them. Could be the planet changin’. Could just be leftover pollution from those old coal plants. No tellin’, really.”

Cloud nodded. He hadn’t heard those theories before (or if he had, he didn’t remember them). They were wrong, of course, but surprisingly insightful. His mother wasn’t done yet though.

”Don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t trust ShinRa, but I’m not goin’ to ignore the other possibilities that are out there.”

She went quiet after that, and began to walk, footprints heavy in the loose dirt of the path. Her long, messy blond hair trailed after her, and Cloud couldn’t take his eyes off of her even as he followed, narrowly keeping pace with her. It seemed crazy to him that he remembered so little of his mother when she was so intelligent and had such a strong, striking personality.

He didn’t try to continue their conversation. He wanted to know more, but he needed to mull over the information that she had already given him before he investigated any further. Luckily, his mother wasn’t the talkative type, leaving him plenty of time to think things over as they walked. By the time they sat down around a campfire for the night, Cloud couldn’t help but ask more questions.

”Hey ma?” he said between bites of canned peas, “What were things like before ShinRa?”

She made a humming noise to acknowledge his question, but didn’t stop eating, staring off contemplatively. Cloud stayed silent, waiting for her to find a good answer.

”Different.” she said at last, setting down her bag of dried prunes. She stared into the fire, seeing something that he could not. He was reminded, vaguely, of when Denzel and Marlene would ask him questions about his youth, when he’d been a terrorist against ShinRa, and he’d gotten lost in the memories dredged up. He wondered if he looked like her when the questions sent him spiralling.

”There was coal mines and plants all around,”she said, “that’s where the work was. There were a lot of farms too, of animals, not just plants.”

Cloud leaned in with interest.

”They could be killed for meat back then. They still can be… but only if you’re near a reactor. They don’t last long out here. When ShinRa took over,” she paused, scratching her forehead, “All the coal mines went outta business. Left a lot of us folk out in the country without work, since the reactors don’t need much staff. Not much else changed out here, but in the cities, they got advanced tech and better living conditions. Made ‘em complacent.”

It was the most he’d heard from her since he’d fallen back in time. She didn’t seem interested in saying anything more and he didn’t really want to push her. If she clammed up about it, he might never get to know more. They passed the rest of dinner in silence,then curled up to sleep out in the open. It was warm enough here that they could sleep without blankets, and with no rain or snow in sight, the tent they’d packed wouldn’t be of any use to them.

-=-5-=-

The next morning, they were awake and had set off before the sun rose. Claudia led the way and they had some bread for breakfast while they walked. When the sun did rise, she stopped their journey so she could examine their map to make sure that they were on the right track. She laid it out on a large, flat rock and grabbed her son’s shoulder, pulling him to stand by her side.

If he planned on being a chocobo farmer, he would need to do a lot of exploring and travelling- finding chocobos, nuts, and greens wouldn’t be easy work, and he’d need to know how to read a map. Claudia knew she wouldn’t always be able to travel with her boy and that he’d need to learn this lesson as early as possible. That way, if he had any questions, she was there to answer them. Hopefully it’d make him ready for the times when she wouldn’t be around.

She kneeled beside him so they’d be eye-level and pointed at the rising sun. “That way’s east. You’ll always be able to find it by looking at the sunrise.” She let her arm fall to the right side of the open map. “East is on the right side of any map you’ll find. West is over here,” she said, pointing to Wutai, “Where the sun sets. North is at the top here and south is at the bottom.”

Cloud nodded along, confused but not willing to show it. The poor kid had her face though, and she could read him like a book. She couldn’t help it, she choked back a laugh at his bewildered expression.

”You need to know this stuff, Cloud.” she said in explanation, ”If you plan to run a chocobo ranch, you’ll need to travel, and to travel, you’ll need to know how to read a map.”

His face brightened with understanding and Claudia offered a small smile back, even as she fought against the faintest inklings of unease. Her son… had changed somehow. He was just as sweet and considerate as ever, but he was more talkative- inquisitive even. He was acting more mature as well. It was strange. There’d been nothing to cause the sudden change, no reason for his sudden adult behavior.

She’d known, a week ago, that he had lied. Perhaps he did it just to end the argument, but he hadn’t lied to her like that before. She’d spent those nights after their argument laying awake in bed, listening carefully for the sounds of tiny footsteps or the opening and closing of the front door. But Cloud had stayed. He’d stayed and when she packed her things to go with him, he hadn’t said a word. She was glad, of course, that he’d decided against becoming a SOLDIER, but she wondered if he’d be happy, living life on a ranch rather than out fighting. Trying not to hurt his mother to the extent of giving up the dream he’d had since he was old enough to talk.


	3. SPN Gravity Falls X-Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Dipper and Mabel grow up to be hunters. A hunt goes wrong, Mabel is hurt, and Dipper has to make a deal. Some mildly creepy Gideon/Dipper. Also dipdip has some anxiety issues. small sidenote just in case: They are all adults in this

Dipper stared at Gideon, his mind somehow not processing that the man that stood before him had once been his childhood rival. Or- well- Gideon's body. It wasn't actually Gideon- whatever was inside of him.

It smiled and Dipper shivered despite himself.

"So," it murmured seductively, "I heard you wanted to make a deal?"

Tennis shoes digging into the gravel, Dipper contemplated his decisions while simultaneously trying not to puke. 

"Yeah." He replied simply. His fists clenched with nervousness as he swallowed dryly. 

"Really?" the demon said, "Well then, let's get this show on the road."

It came closer to him, eyes roving over his body almost hungrily as it began to speak.

"Hmm, I suppose you'd probably like me to save your sister from that curse?" it said as it came to a stop a foot away from him. 

"Y-yes." He said, and though he wanted to look away from the familiar visage, he knew never to take his eyes off of an enemy.

"I'll give you ten years. Then your soul is mine." It said, voice warm and jovial despite the somber atmosphere.

"Deal?"

Dipper took a deep breath, his legs shaking, and he wasn't sure how to respond.

"I- you're…" He stopped, breathed, and managed something coherent. "Yes."

The crossroads demon in control of his past foe's body grinned, canines shining in the dim light of the forgotten diner nearby.

"And now we seal it with a kiss." It breathed out, sending a shiver down Dipper's spine. A cold, large hand took hold of his chin, and Dipper froze in place despite every nerve in his body telling him to pull away. He leaned in and it wasn’t just a simple, easy brush of lips. There was nothing innocent or subtle about it. Dipper gasped and his mouth was devoured.

The demon finally pulled away, it's eyes a pool of glossy black.

"Mmm, you're just as delicious as this little meat suit dreamed you'd be." It hummed, and it's eyes glanced over his body one last time before the demon, and Gideon's body, were gone.

Dipper stood alone, his body shaking helplessly. Eventually he pulled himself together, resisting the urge to cry from the stress, the frustration and confusion that panged around in his skull. He started walking to his car, breathing deeply and trying not to think. He got to his car, climbed in, and sat stagnant for what felt like hours but was likely only a half hour at most.

His phone rang, and he answered it before he'd realized his hand had moved.

"Hello, this is Dipper Pines speaking." He said, his voice only barely wavering.

"Hello Mr. Pines, we just wanted to call to let you know that your sister has woken up." a woman's voice filtered through.

He felt tears well up, and he could no longer fight them. He tried not to sob as he replied.

"Awesome," he whispered, tears spilling down his cheeks, "I'll be right there. Thank you."

He hung up before the woman could respond. He just sat there and cried until there were no more tears left, and then he drove.

It was at least a forty minute drive to the hospital that Mabel was in, and he fought not to worry. He prayed that she'd still be okay, be awake and healthy and alive, when he got there, in a way that she hadn't been for months. Ever since they fought that damn witch, ever since the asshole got away and Mabel got hit with some sort of nasty spell.

It had been a struggle as she got steadily weaker and he couldn't find a cure. Then she'd fallen into a coma two weeks ago, and he struggled for another week before he acknowledged his time was running out. He’d had to make a choice.

He'd gone to the crossroads expecting some monster- some random individual that he could take down if it came to that. Not- not Gideon. Not him.

It had been so long since that summer in Gravity Falls, so long since he'd first discovered the supernatural and Gideon had been put in juvie. He'd actually forgotten about him, but there was no mistaking that face or that ridiculous hair. Old memories flooded his mind and he couldn't imagine what had lead his past enemy into his current circumstances.

He wasn't sure what to feel- especially after what the demon had said to him.

Surely Gideon hadn't felt like that about him, and even if he had, what could Dipper do about it now? Now that the blond had been possessed by some monster? He didn't know what to think or what actions to take. He felt so far out of his depth. All he wanted to do was scream and throw a fit, to just curl up and go to sleep and forget the past three months had ever happened. 

Instead he just drove. Mabel needed him, and he couldn't afford to act like a child now, no matter how he felt.

-=1=-

Dipper ran up the stairs to the third floor, too impatient to wait for the elevator at this point. He stumbled to her room, going as fast and as steadily as he could with his legs trembling beneath him and his breath coming out in short gasps. When he finally got to the open doorway of her room all of his remaining air was forced out of his lungs. The sudden relief of seeing his sister awake and smiling almost knocked his legs right out from beneath him.

"Mabel…" he murmured, doing his best to smile. He very suddenly felt tired, the last couple of months with lack of proper rest and nutrition finally hitting him.

She smiled back, but something in her eyes was sad.

"Hey Dipper," she said, giving a tiny wave. Her voice was unusually hoarse, but he supposed that was to be expected after she had been in a coma, albeit a short one. 

He sat in the chair next to her bed, which almost felt like home from how much he had been in it over the past month. 

"You…" she trailed off, looking at her hands which tangled restlessly in her lap.

"Mabel?" he whispered, both trying to get her to continue and also wary of what she would say to him.

"You made a deal didn't you?"

His throat tightened, and he swallowed before he nodded. 

"You can't just-" she stopped when he held up his hand in a halting motion.

"Can we-" He bit his lip, "Can we just not talk about this now? I'm exhausted. We'll- we'll deal with it later."

She nodded slowly, and at last her serious expression evaporated, a laugh bubbling out of her lips.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh my god," she giggled, "You look like crap. Have you even bathed at all in the last month?"

He gave her a fake scowl, too happy that she was making jokes again to really be mad at her. She stuck a tongue out at him, and he returned the gesture. 

They talked for a little while, before a nurse came in to tell him that visiting hours were over and he was sent out. He left with a promise to get some rest and come back to see Mabel first thing in the morning.

-=2=-

He goes to the hotel he'd been staying in, and climbs right into bed. He doesn't bother changing out of his clothes. After all, he'd been wearing them for the last couple of days- what was one more night?

That night he dreams , but it's only for a brief moment. He sees Gideon creeping closer, his eyes an inky black, hands reaching for Dipper’s throat. Then everything goes up in blue fire. He sees a triangle past the flames, laughing as he burns.

"Bill?" he gasps out when he wakes, covered in a cold sweat and feeling smothered by his blankets. 

He untangles his legs from the covers and checks the time. It's about 4:30 in the morning, and he decides that's enough sleep for one day. He's still tired, but he goes out for a coffee and free wifi. He ends up at a small cafe that opens ridiculously early, gets a cup of joe, and settles in for the long haul at one of the back tables.

Dipper looks up anything he can find out on crossroads demons, which turns out not to be much. Most of the stuff he finds is fictional, and what isn’t seems to be the ramblings of those whose deals are near their expiration date. There’s not really anything useful, and by the time he’s given up, it’s about time for visiting hours at the hospital to start and the cafe employees are beginning to give him dirty looks.

He leaves and grabs some breakfast for both himself and his sister. He knows that it’s probably better not to give her solid foods so soon after she’d left a catatonic state, but he also knows that supernatural illnesses tended not to have the same or full effects of natural ones. 

When he reaches the hospital, he almost doesn’t leave his car. Memories of being in this god forsaken parking lot resurface, and his mind is suddenly consumed by the worry that it had all been a dream anyway. That he’d been fooling himself and Mabel was still asleep, still slowly withering away, and that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He struggles to calm down, and just sits there until he can breathe freely again and his panic isn’t so overpowering. Eventually, he gets up and leaves his car, passing through the sliding doors of the hospital with shaking legs and a heavy heart. He brings the food with him, even though there’s a chance that Mabel won’t really be there to appreciate it. 

Finally, he reaches her room. She’s sleeping, which sends a fresh spark of panic down his spine. He tries not to freak out as he approaches her bed, but as soon as he calls her name, her eyes open up. She blinks blearily at him, and Dipper can’t remember seeing anything so amazing in his life (nothing would ever really match up to the feeling he had when she opened her eyes again, he was so relieved).

They share breakfast, and soon Mabel is rambling again, though to be fair, half of it is her criticizing his appearance and his apparent inability to take care of himself. He doesn’t bother arguing with her, laughing along to her words, and to be honest he can’t really say anything to the contrary. He’s awful at doing anything without Mabel. She’s pretty much what keeps his stupid levels of obsession under control.

A doctor comes in after about an hour. There’d been a nurse that’d passed through every once in awhile to make sure that everything was still going well, but she hadn’t lingered long. Dipper smiled at the woman and she grinned back, he’d gotten to know his sister’s doctor pretty well after the months that she’d been hospitalized. 

“Hello there,” said Dr. Smith. She was a kind woman with a warm smile and dark, curly hair, and she was obviously excited to see Mabel awake and lively, “How are you feeling, Ms. Pines?”

“I feel good,” Mabel replied, “I’m tired and a little sore, but it’s nothing too bad.”

“Good, good. You’re probably going to feel like that for a few days, but it looks like you’ll be able to make a full recovery quickly.”

“How long is it going to be before she can leave?” Dipper asked, seeing the concerned look on his sister’s face.

“We’ll probably want to keep her under observation for at least another day, but after that, she should be free to go.” Smith replied, then turned to Mabel, “If you start to feel strange, tell us immediately. We don’t know what caused you to go into a coma, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

She stayed to run a few diagnostic tests on Mabel, but all of them pointed to her being just fine, and she left.


	4. Hanatarou and Yachiru surviving bad circumstances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the WIP with some violence! I don't describe wounds in gory detail or anything, but they are mentioned, and Hanatarou is in a very dangerous situation as a battlefield medic & is trying to heal some badly injured people.

While the 4th division is known more for cleaning up the other divisions messes than their military prowess, that does not mean that they don’t get any action. They just don’t get to participate in the so-called ‘glorious’ parts. They were much too busy keeping their fellow shinigami alive on the battlefield to bother with combat. Not many of their comrades seemed to take note of this fact and the medics were widely thought of as weak and cowardly. Every shinigami in the fourth division had to face this prejudice.

Hanatarou was certainly not exempt from it.

He did his best not to hold it against them. It was hard though, when he’d just lost a patient on the battlefield only to come home and be told to his face that he was a useless drain on soul society, then be made to clean the drains like a janitor. If not for the bullying and constant distain displayed to himself and his division mates he would’ve been content with his lot. He was fine with cleaning and he loved to heal- to help rather than destroy- but it was hard to live like that in a community like this.

He was drained and miserable a lot of the time with things as they were. Despite himself, he was angry at the other divisions (especially the 11th division)- more so than he felt was really justified. It wasn’t so much anger as just being exhausted though. He was bone tired almost all of the time and piled with the work that was required of him on top of his battlefield-medic duties, and those other divisions seemed to only take joy in making things more stressful for him.

It’d been a particularly heavy week in terms of both cleaning and healing when he was called to go out and help some 11th divisioners take care of a couple hollows. It wasn’t supposed to be a difficult job, but he’d been tired and resentful. He wasn’t as focused as he should have been.

He hadn’t even considered the possibility that things could go so wrong.

-=-0-=-

His blood pounded in his ears. There was too much noise and he couldn’t hear clearly- his mind set on the man beneath his hands. Hanataro pressed fingers into the split open throat he was desperately pushing healing kido into. He cut off the stream as he realized it was unsalvageable. He stood, trying to run over to the next shinigami in his line of sight, head spinning and hands as steady as he could make them as kido burned at his fingertips. Something slammed into him- knocking his breath out of his lungs. Belatedly, stumbling from the impact, he realized it was one of his squadmates trying to escape from the danger.

He couldn’t help but think, rather spitefully, that it was a foolish thing to do. A lone healer would not make it far when hollows were circling like this. He breathed in panicky, short breaths as he pushed himself violently to his feet. He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone who he might be able to save. Better to die trying to help the others than to die without giving at least someone a chance to make it out of this mess alive.

A fighter was more likely to make it back to give the report than a healer- and the higher ups would prefer that outcome anyway. That was the best he could hope for, in any case. Perhaps it was a pessimistic view to hold, but if there was anything Hanatarou had learned in his plentiful years in the 4th division, it was that a healer's life had very little worth in the eyes of soul society.

A flash of- _pink?_ \- movement caught his attention as he spotted it out of the corner of his eye. His head turned so fast he felt his neck give a painful pop. He couldn’t believe what he saw. What was the vice captain of the eleventh division doing here? His mind already a bit like slush from all of the adrenaline in his system. He could only gape in shock as Yachiru cut hollows down left and right. He heard her laugh gleefully in the carnage and felt his insides rebel. He pushed back his urge to retch- his throat burning as he swallowed. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself, trying to _think_.

This was good- it was very good, he tried to reason. After all, if Yachiru was here, it was likely that Kenpachi was not far. And- while he was normally terrified into uselessness or paralyzed by the two’s reiatsu- he couldn’t deny that they were likely to save both his and his comrades lives here. No matter how horrifying their love of carnage was, it was a blessing that they had shown up. He took a moment to breathe and reexamine his surroundings with bubbly laughter and the sound of metal against bone ringing in his ears.

He tended to the wounded who were closest to him as best he could. He was mostly just doing messy patch jobs until he could get to his pack of medical supplies. He wasn’t quite sure when or where he’d lost them but they weren’t likely to be far. He was just doing his best to contain the damage and do it quickly.

He was dealing with one of the female combatant’s internal damage- more from blunt impact than from anything sharp- when a high shriek cut through the noise.

His head jerked up. He realized a couple of things all at once. Kenpachi was not here. Yachiru was injured- badly if the amount of blood at her feet had anything to say about it. _Seriously,_ why wasn’t captain Kenpachi here yet? There were only a few hollows left but Hanatarou was the last shinigami standing and he knew already that he had no chance of defeating them. One of the hollows raised its forelimb to strike-and-- no one was helping. It was a sudden and harrowing understanding that hit him- the situation was not in control like he’d thought it was. The hollows were closing in, help didn’t seem to be coming, and _Hanatarou_ was the only one left to try and salvage the situation. A fresh rush of panic flooded through him.

Now, Hanatarou Yamada was not really the brave type. He did not rush into dangerous situations head first with only his courage to guide him. Well. Not typically. Right now, he had no other choice. He could either die here and _maybe_ get the vice captain out alive or he could retreat all on his own. Knowing what would be waiting for him back at soul society if he screwed up, leaving Yachiru behind really wasn’t an option he was willing to consider. It would be better for everyone to die here in this clusterfuck than for him to make it back alive and alone.

Feeling a little suicidal but mostly nauseous at the thought of what he was about to do, he slid his zanpakuto from his sleeve and into his palm, gripping it tightly- the charge was still full from the last time he’d gone on one of these outings. Standing up on shaky feet, trying to ignore the cold sweat creeping down his back, Hanatarou ran towards the trio surrounding Yachiru. He swept his scalpel into a downward arc, only vaguely aiming at the hollows as he swept the pink haired girl up in his free arm. He didn’t know if the hit landed but he wasn’t about to take the time to check.

Hanatarou was far too busy running like hell and regretting his life choices to consider doing that.

Yachiru was a light and alarmingly still weight in his arm. Quickly, he sheathed his weapon so that he could hold her more securely. It wouldn’t be good to drop her after going through all of that. At least all of that running in terror from eleventh divisioners while carrying cleaning supplies was coming in handy, he thought, maybe a little hysterically.

Not sensing any pursuers after running for quite a while, he looked over his shoulder, needing more information to assess his situation.

_Oh._

Well, he had that explanation, even if he felt like he was going to puke all over again. They were not being chased at all. The hollows were rather happily preoccupied with eating their fallen comrades and didn’t seem intent on bothering with the ones who could run. Hanatarou turned his head back forward and did his best not to dwell on it. He had a mission to attend to.

And there was no telling how long the bodies distracting the hollows would last.

-=-1-=-

By the time he finally stopped, there was sweat dripping down his brow, his legs and lungs burned viciously, and he was starting to get light headed. He set Yachiru down and tried desperately to get more lungfuls of air. When he’d recovered somewhat, he turned to his patient. His alarmingly still and pale patient. His heart gained momentum again as he reached out a shaking hand to check for a pulse. It was there. He sighed in relief.

Then he got to work.

He used his blade for the most severe wounds. There was a cut running across her chest, thankfully not very deep, then a bad one across her back. Just treating those filled his gauge. There was no more he could do with it. Another laceration ran across her thigh. He pushed what little healing kido he had left into it. It was not as much good as he had hoped. He had no energy left to work with, not unless he was willing to knock himself out, which wouldn’t do either of them any good. His pack was still lost back with the hollows, so he couldn’t even bandage her other wounds or give her anything to help with the blood loss.

At least she wasn’t still bleeding. After he’d rested for a short while, he lifted her onto his back and kept moving. He couldn’t afford to rest just yet, despite his exhaustion. However, as he began to move, he realised something. He didn’t have any idea where he was going. There was nothing but dirt for miles.

He swallowed roughly, his dry throat itching at the action, and kept walking. He figured any direction that took them away from the hollows was a good one.


	5. Science Idiots OT3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Endgame for this one is Mayuri Kurotsuchi/Szayslapparo Granz/Orochimaru, but I'm not actually far enough into it to declare it that pairing yet.

When Mayuri stabbed the pink-haired arrancar, he had done it with the intent to kill. To wipe the man off the map- for his arrogance, for interfering with one of Mayuri’s most successful experiments. But… the arrancar was interesting. He couldn’t help but want to commit to further study of the man. And for a man like Kurotsuchi, curiosity always won. So, last minute, he used one of his stasis pods on the arrancar.

It was something he did when he found something (or someone) that caught his interest. It stopped whatever it hit in time. It would keep whatever was stored inside of it perfectly preserved, trapping it and not allowing any changes to occur until Mayuri had the time to properly investigate it. As long as the arrancar was within the pod, he wouldn’t die, wouldn’t move, and would be kept fresh until further research could be conducted.

He had an underling deliver it to his lab and didn’t think of the pink-haired man again for a very long time.

-=-0-=-

After all of the fighting and the wars had ended, he finally got some time to himself in his private lab. He had many experiments to conduct still. Despite this, the first project that caught his attention upon his return was the arrancar he had caught. There were just a couple of problems preventing him from moving forward with the project

As soon as he released the man from the pod, he would immediately succumb to his injuries. Mayuri had placed the blade in precisely the right spot to cause an instantaneous death. This presented an issue in multiple ways. If he died, then Mayuri would never be able to learn any of the knowledge that the arrancar had accumulated. The arrancar was after all a scientist, if an unprofessional one, and Mayuri wanted to know not only more about arrancars in general but also about what research the creatures conducted (and, perhaps especially, what results they got). Not only would the knowledge be an issue, but arrancars had a bad habit of dissolving completely into dust when they died, meaning that if the specimen died, Mayuri would not even be left with a body to study.

So, before he could fully begin his research, he would have to find a way to keep the arrancar alive. Thus began Mayuri’s newest project.

-=-0-=-

Not long after Mayuri had returned to his studies, a new recruit of the medical division began to cause a stir. He paid little attention, not particularly invested in the going-ons of other divisions, but he still heard the talk surrounding the man. He had apparently only recently joined the world of the dead- perhaps only months earlier. He’d gotten enrolled in the academy somehow, and had mastered the material at a never before seen pace, graduating incredibly early and gaining a quick entry into the fourth division, apparently having advanced medical experience from his time among the living. It would not take long for him to begin to climb the ranks, and the seated officers were already getting protective of their positions.

Mayuri quickly grew uninterested in the gossip… at least until the man started making frequent appearances at the twelfth divisions labs. He only heard of it second hand, but it still caused him significant irritation. Perhaps more annoying was the fact that since the man had begun to involve himself in their research, Mayuri’s underlings had been getting more, better, and faster results. How could one man increase their efficiency so much? And if he was so good at the scientific aspect of study, why had he gone into the fourth division rather than the twelfth?

He was determined to speak to Unohana about the misconduct of the fourth divisioner- after he’d gotten a look at the man himself, of course. He went down into the lower clearance level labs exactly for this purpose. It did not take him long to find the man. He had strange, distinctive reiki, roiling and nearly poisonous if well repressed, leading Mayuri straight to him.

Mayuri stood in the open doorway of the lab, giving himself a moment to examine the other man. He was pale, with long, black hair tied up to keep it from falling into his face. As soon as the leader of the twelfth division laid eyes on him, he slowly looked over to meet his gaze, locking eyes with the scientist. He had a striking face, with purple markings above piercing golden eyes and a soft, feminine jaw. He smiled pleasantly, showing his teeth. Mayuri frowned. It took a moment to identify, but Mayuri recognized that look and the intent behind it. That shinagami… he was hungry for power, for _knowledge_. Mayuri remembered that sentiment from his younger days.

No… he wouldn’t be talking to Unohana about that one. He’d been thinking of either reporting his behavior or having him transferred over to his own division. But… he did not want that man’s attention focused on him. He knew, from just that brief moment of interaction, that the fourth division captain would need to look over her shoulder for so long as he was under her command. The new fourth divisioner wouldn’t be happy being second-best to anyone. He’d likely take his time, as Mayuri had once intended to do, but one day he would strike. There was very little doubt in the scientist’s mind that this man would one day set his eyes on the captain’s seat.

And he would do nearly anything to get it.

Mayuri left without another word. That brief exchange was all he needed to see of the man. He had enough on his plate without getting involved with that particular brand of crazy.

-=-0-=-

What Mayuri had not expected was to find the man in his private laboratory, eyeing his arrancar contemplatively. Slowly, he stepped into the lab.

”How did you get in here?” he asked, announcing his presence. Not that he had to. He had little doubt that the man had sensed him before he had reached the door.

He didn’t remove his eyes from the frozen arrancar. ”Quite the interesting specimen you have here,” he said, ignoring the question. “it’s not like anything else I’ve seen here… the energy is different. Tell me,” he raised his head, locking eyes with Mayuri, “where did you find it?”

”That’s funny.” Mayuri tilted his head and bared his teeth, annoyed. “Here I thought the fourth division frowned upon human experimentation.”

He smiled unpleasantly in return. “Oh, but this… it isn’t human, is it?” It was a statement more than it was a question, and his fingers gently ran across the surface of the stasis pod. His eyes glinted, “Neither are we, really.” Somehow, Mayuri didn’t think the man was talking about the fact that they were dead.

Mayuri continued to scowl at him, but now he was intrigued. He wouldn’t be killing the medic… not yet, at least. He needed to know more about him before he made a choice. Contemplating his options, he entered fully into the lab. He had some research to do, after all.


End file.
